Lycramed stretchable hospital scrub top

ABSTRACT

An improved hospital garment is herein disclosed. The garment is set forth in the context of a scrub top having a main body designed to extend from the shoulders to the hips of the wearer, short sleeves, two pockets located along the bottom of the main body, a V-shaped neckline, and a plurality of snap-type closures located at the front center of the garment to hold it closed. The hospital scrub top includes an improved fabric that weaves together two yarn types with at least one of the types being an elastomeric or hyper-elastic yarn such as LYCRA®, and the other being a synthetic or blend of natural and synthetic fibers such as cotton and polyester. This unique blend of polyester/cotton and elastomeric yarns creates a woven fabric having increased shape retention, versatility, and useful life (i.e. resistance to snagging, fiber fatigue, shrinkage, pinholing) as compared to those of conventional scrubs, and the wrinkle-free nature of the fabric permits the hospital scrub to be readily laundered without the need for ironing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application derives priority from U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 60/298,598, filed Jun. 15, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to garments and, more particularly,to the functionality, comfort, and longevity of clothing known ashospital scrubs. More specifically, the present invention discloses adesign for hospital scrub tops that increases comfort of the wearer anddurability via the use of a fabric that possesses certain “stretchable”characteristics.

[0004] 2. Description of the Background

[0005] Currently, it is known in the art to provide hospital scrub topsthat are made from only a blend of polyester and cotton yarns. Thesescrub tops made from conventional woven fabric do not possess theability to give or stretch as the wearer moves. An uncomfortable garmentof this type, one that works against the wearer, can be uncomfortableand ultimately contribute to the fatigue of the wearer. In hospitalenvironments where long working hours provide sufficient cause forfatigue, the garments worn by staff members should not exacerbate theproblem.

[0006] Another common problem associated with conventional,polyester/cotton blend scrubs is that they have a tendency to wear outover time due to friction at stress points. This friction results fromindividual yarns snagging and breaking, or from the fatigue of thefibers due to repeated washing and/or friction from wearing. Smallfabric holes appear, especially in critical areas such as the innerthighs, knees and elbows. When the fabric holes get too large, or toonumerous, the scrubs are taken out of service. A third problem withconventional scrubs is shrinkage. Repeated washings make them smallerand thus place greater restrictions on the comfortable movement of thewearer.

[0007] Others have attempted to address the issue of hospital scrubs bydesigning garments that possess (1) the ability to fit individuals ofvarying physical dimensions (e.g. U.S Pat. No. 3,721,998 to Meyers) or(2) increased utility (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,681 to Dean).Occasionally, a new design represents a marked departure fromtraditional configurations (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,961 toKnight-Yurt).

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,998 discloses a hospital scrub for use bywomen of varying physical dimensions. The scrub is straight-sidedwithout utilizing a waist line so as to obtain greater comfort andbetter lines for women of varying shapes. A boat neck is employed whichwill fit any size neck comfortably. Easy entry to the dress is madepossible by a slit shoulder on one of the sleeves. The shoulder slit isclosed by flat ties. The use of such flat ties permits easy launderingand ironing with a power mangle. The upper edges of the sleeves are openso as to permit freedom of arm movement. There is no mention of thespecifics of the fabric utilized in this design.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,681 discloses a health care uniform(jacket/blouse and pants) made from light-weight materials. Thejacket/blouse possesses a conventional type of breast pocket and, at thebottom running across the full width of the jacket/blouse, a pocketpanel with a vertical seam in the center to form two pouch pocketcompartments. The bottom portion of the pocket panel has a separatepiece of reinforcing material that is integral with the hemline alongsubstantially the full width of the blouse. The pouch pocket openingsare set at a convenient angle to allow for the entrance of the hand intothe pocket while keeping objects from falling out. The outboard pantpockets have closures similar to those on the jacket/blouse pockets andare also reinforced along their bottom edges.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,961 discloses a new design for hospitalscrubs that includes a strap at the neck. The strap is used to form aloop for holding a stethoscope. Detachable sleeves, held together withVelcro, are also provided to enable the user to remove the lower part ofeach sleeve to create standard length short sleeves. A two-pocket pouchat the waist area, with two separate flaps covering the pockets, isprovided. The flaps are secured shut by Velcro, either one at a time, orsimultaneously. The area behind the two pockets creates a third, widepocket. There is also a double pocket on the sleeve for pens, pencils,etc.

[0011] While comfort improvement features such as removable sleeves aredisclosed in the foregoing references (i.e. worn as long sleeves inwinter and short sleeves in summer), relatively little attention hasbeen paid to the utility of the fabrics utilized in the scrubs.

[0012] There remains a need for hospital garments designed to addressthe issues of wearer comfort and garment longevity via the use of aninnovative fabric blend.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to providehospital garments that provide additional comfort and durability bystretching as the wearer moves.

[0014] It is still another object to provide an improved fabric to beused in the manufacturing of hospital garments, and especially scrubtops, that is not subject to problems associated with garment wear andtear (e.g. pinholing, fiber fatigue, shrinkage).

[0015] An exemplary hospital garment as described in the context of ahospital scrub top according to one embodiment of the present invention.The primary components of the scrub include the main body designed toextend from the shoulders to the hips of the wearer, short sleeves, twopockets located along the bottom of the main body, a V-shaped neckline,and a plurality of snap-type closures located at the front center of thegarment to hold it closed.

[0016] The present invention addresses many problems present in theprior art. It includes an improved fabric that remedies the comfort andlongevity problems outlined above by weaving together two yarn typeswith at least one of the types being an elastomeric or hyper-elasticyarn. In the preferred embodiment, the first yarn type is comprised of ablend of natural and synthetic fibers, preferably a blend of cotton andpolyester, while the other yarn is comprised of an elastomeric orhyper-elastic fiber such as LYCRA®.

[0017] This unique blend of woven polyester/cotton and elastomeric yarnscreates a fabric having increased shape retention, versatility, anduseful life as compared to those of conventional scrubs. The elastomericyarn allows the fabric to stretch as the wearer moves. This stretchingability provides for greater comfort and less garment-induced fatigueduring wear. Further, the elastomeric yarn and polyester/cotton yarnblend creates a more resilient fabric that is resistant to snagging,fiber fatigue, shrinkage, and pinholing, thereby increasing the usefullife of the fabric. The nature of the fabric permits the hospital scrubto be readily laundered without the need for ironing. The wrinkle-freenature of the fabric avoids the expense of hand ironing as is necessarywhere snap-type closures are utilized because closures of that type cancause damage to automated ironing systems (e.g. tearing the roll of apower-operated mangle).

[0018] These and other objects and advantages of the present inventionwill be clarified in the following description of the preferredembodiment in connection with the drawings, the disclosure and theappended claims, wherein like reference numerals represent like elementsthroughout. While the preferred embodiment of this invention addressesproblems most associated with scrubs, both tops and pants, it isrecognized that other products such as lab coats and patient gowns maybe created from this inventive fabric.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present inventionwill become more apparent from the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiments and certain modifications thereof when takentogether with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0020]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a hospital scrub top 10according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021]FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view of the fabric 30utilized in a hospital scrub top 10, according to a first embodiment ofthe present invention, particularly illustrating the polyester/cottonand elastomeric yarn strands 32, 34, respectively.

[0022]FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary side cross-section of thefabric 30 as in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0023] The present invention is a hospital garment designed to addressthe issues of wearer comfort and garment longevity via the use of aninnovative fabric blend. The invention is herein described in thecontext of a hospital scrub top.

[0024]FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of a hospital scrub top 10according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The fivemain areas of the scrub 10 include a main body 12, two short sleeves 14,two pockets 16, 18, a V-shaped neckline 20, and five snap-type closures22.

[0025] The main body 12 preferably contains none of the features (e.g.pleats, darts) typically found in garment design/construction. Thosefeatures are not required in the present invention due to the nature ofthe fabric (discussed in greater detail below) utilized in itsmanufacture. Consequently, the elimination of needless featuresincreases manufacturing economy.

[0026] The two sleeves 14 are slightly shorter than typical shortsleeves. This design element provides the wearer with greater freedomand range of movement without encountering resistance from the sleeves14.

[0027] The two opposing pockets 16, 18 vary slightly in their internalconfiguration. The right hand pocket 18 preferably includes two clothloops attached to the rear, inside wall, while the left hand pocket 18is devoid of any additional design elements. The cloth loops containedin pocket 16 assist in keeping instruments (e.g. scissors) or otherparaphernalia from falling out.

[0028] A V-shaped neckline 20 is utilized in an effort to fit morecomfortably around a wide variety of wearer neck sizes. A plurality ofconventional snap-type closures 22 are included to facilitate either therapid donning or removal of the scrub 10.

[0029]FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view of the fabric 30utilized in a hospital scrub top 10, according to a first embodiment ofthe present invention, particularly illustrating the polyester/cottonand elastomeric yarn strands 32, 34, respectively.

[0030]FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary side cross-section of thefabric 30 as in FIG. 2.

[0031] As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fabric 30 of the preferredembodiment comprises a woven material having a yarn strand 32, made of ablend of natural and synthetic fibers, and an elastomeric strand orhyper-elastic yarn 34. The yarn strand 32 is woven together with theelastomeric strand 34 as illustrated in FIG. 2 to create a single pieceof textile or fabric 30. An important aspect of the present inventionlies in the fiber content and combination of the two strands of yarn 32,34. The yarn strand 32 and the elastomeric strand 34 are woven togetherto form a fabric 30 which produces, in the preferred embodiment, afinished scrub 10 that measures approximately 30″ top to bottom, 23″ to25″ across the main body 12 (when lying on a flat surface), and 32″across from sleeve tip to sleeve tip. The scrub 10 weighs approximatelynine ounces.

[0032] The yarn strand 32 contains approximately 35% natural fiber and65% synthetic material. Although any suitable synthetic material may beused in the yarn strand 32, it is preferred that the synthetic materialbe polyester. Likewise, it is preferred that the natural material ofyarn strand 32 be combed cotton. Thus, the yarn strand 32 is comprisedpreferably of a polyester/cotton blend. At a minimum, the yarn strand 32should have a fiber content of at least 25% natural cotton material, theremainder being polyester.

[0033] The elastomeric strand 34 of the fabric 30 may be comprised ofany elastic textile fiber, however, it is preferred that the material bemade of the elastomeric fiber known as LYCRA®. Therefore, in thepreferred embodiment, the fabric 30 comprises a blend ofpolyester/cotton yarn 32 and LYCRA® strands 34.

[0034] As seen in FIG. 2, the fabric 30 is woven so that there is a 1:1ratio of elastomeric yarn 34 to polyester/cotton yarn 32. While theratio of elastomeric strands 34 to yarn strands 32 is 1:1, thepercentage blend of the polyester/cotton 32 yarn to elastomeric yarn 34is not necessarily a 50/50 ratio. The fabric blend of a finished scrub10 is typically 99% polyester/cotton and 1% elastomeric material. Thevariation in fabric blend is made possible by varying the size of theyarn strand 32 and the denier of the elastomeric strand 34.

[0035] Also evident in FIG. 2, from the interlocking arrangement of theelastomeric yarn 34 with that of the polyester/cotton yarn 32, is thatthe fabric 30 is woven such that it stretches in only one direction (asnoted by directional arrow 36). The amount of stretch inherent in theknitted fabric 30 is 15.3%. The fabric 30 is utilized in the scrub 10such that the direction of stretch is across the width of the garment(as noted by directional arrow 24 in FIG. 1).

[0036] Preferably, the yarn strand 32 is a size 32/single while theelastomeric yarn 34 is a size 40 denier. This combination of the size32/single yarn strand 32 and 40 denier elastomeric material 34 producesa fabric 30 with an overall blend of 35% cotton, 64% polyester, and 1%elastomeric material. The weight and blend of the fabric 30 can bealtered as desired by increasing/decreasing the denier size of theelastomeric strand 34, increasing/decreasing the size of the yarn strand32, or increasing/decreasing both the size of the elastomeric strand 34and the yarn strand 32. However, the foregoing specifications may berelied upon to give a satisfactory balance of comfort, stretch,durability and launderability. Specifically, for a section of resultingfabric cut from a yard roll and having a cuttable width of 61.25″, theforegoing specifications yield a weight of approximately 4.85 oz/yd², atensile warp of 140#, a tensile fill of 60#, a tear warp of 5.2#, a tearfill of 2.9#, shrinkage warp of -2.3%, shrinkage fill of −1.6%, stretchof 15.3%, and recovery of 2.0%. The fabric constructed in accordancewith these specifications demonstrates superior performance in allcolors and all tests.

[0037] Specifically, a Textile Laboratory Analysis Report has beenrendered for the foregoing in a khaki-colored criss-cross tunic hospitalscrub top embodiment. Throughout five wash-and-dry processing cyclesusing high-temperature cotton drying, the scrub top displayedcomparatively low linting/pilling, fraying and color-losscharacteristics without significantly increased shrinking. Morespecifically, there is minor pilling (groups of short or broken fiberson the surface of the fabric becoming tangled together in a tiny ball or“pill.” Pilling results from rubbing (abrasion) of the fabric duringnormal wear and use). There is no linting, fraying, or visible colorloss of the fabric at all. Due to the mechanics of the knit, the garmentdisplayed excellent shrinkage properties in both the widthwise positionand from sleeve opening to sleeve opening. The lengthwise directionshows some shrinkage (4.9%), but traditional woven fabrics containing astraight 60/40 poly/cotton blend will show a shrinkage rate of around 2to 4%. Thus, a 4.9% lengthwise shrinkage is an insignificant compromise.The specific shrinkage measurements follow: Measurement BeforeLaundering After Laundering % Shrinkage L W S-S L W S-S L W S-S 30.5″25.0″ 30.5″ 29.0″ 25.0″ 30.5″ 4.9% 0% 0%

[0038] The improved stretching ability provides for greater comfort andless garment-induced fatigue during wear. The wrinkle-free nature of thefabric permits the hospital scrub to be readily and repeatedly launderedwithout the need for ironing. Moreover, the addition of LYCRA® in sportsuniforms and the like has been shown to actually increase athleticperformance.¹

[0039] To manufacture the fabric 30 of the present invention, one mayuse a standard fabric manufacturing machine such as a Fukahara ModelFXC-3S. To obtain a 1:1 ratio of polyester/cotton yarn 32 to elastomericyarn 34, the machine is fitted with special feeders such as theMeminger-Iro feeders. These feeders pass the LYCRA® or elastomeric yarn34 to the bed of the machine. These special feeders are then used in analternating fashion so that a 1:1 ratio of elastomeric yarn 34 topolyester/cotton yarn 32 is fed into the needles.

[0040] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the fabric30 is constructed as above except that the yarn strand 32 is madeentirely of natural fibers. The preferred natural fiber is combedcotton, but silk, wool or other like substances could be utilized. Nosynthetic fibers are used in the yarn strand 32. Therefore, the overallfabric 30 comprises a blend of combed cotton and elastomeric material.

[0041] In yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention,the fabric 30 is again constructed the same as the fabric 30 of thepreferred embodiment except that the yarn strand 32 is made entirely ofsynthetic fibers, preferably polyester. No natural fibers are used inthe yarn strand 32 of this embodiment, and thus, the overall fabric 30comprises a blend of polyester and elastomeric material.

[0042] Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiment and certainmodifications of the concept underlying the present invention, variousother embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of theembodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to thoseskilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept.It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention may be practicedotherwise than as specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A hospital garment, comprising: a main body extending fromthe shoulders to the hips of a wearer; two short sleeves; two pocketslocated along the bottom of said main body; a V-shaped neckline; aplurality of snap-type closures located at the front center of saidscrub top to hold it closed.
 2. The hospital garment according to claim1, formed from a woven fabric comprising: a first yarn strand comprisingpolyester/cotton fiber having a fiber content of approximately 35%natural cotton material; a second yarn strand comprising LYCRA®; andsaid first and said second yarn strands being woven together in anoverall resulting fabric blend comprising 99% of said first yarn strand,and 1% of said second yarn strand, and then sewn into the form of ahospital scrub top.
 3. The hospital garment according to claim 2,further comprising a hospital scrub top formed from said woven fabricwherein said first yarn strand contains a blend of approximately 35%combed cotton and approximately 65% polyester.
 4. A hospital scrub topformed from a woven fabric as set forth in claim 3, wherein said firstyarn strand is size 32/single.
 5. A hospital scrub top formed from awoven fabric as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second yarn strand issize 40 denier.
 6. A hospital scrub top formed from a woven fabric asset forth in claim 3 wherein said first yarn strand and said second yarnstrand are woven together in a 1:1 ratio.
 7. A hospital scrub top formedfrom a woven fabric as set forth in claim 2 wherein the blend of wovenpolyester/cotton and elastomeric yarn of said woven fabric gives saidscrub top increased shape retention, versatility, and useful life.
 8. Ahospital scrub top formed from a woven fabric as set forth in claim 7wherein said scrub top has no pleats or darts.
 9. A hospital scrub topformed from a woven fabric as set forth in claim 7 wherein said scrubtop has a V-shaped neckline.
 10. A hospital scrub top formed from awoven fabric as set forth in claim 7 wherein said scrub top opens from aV-shaped neckline by a plurality of snap-type closures for rapid donningand removal.
 11. A hospital scrub top formed from a woven fabriccomprising: a first yarn strand comprising polyester/cotton fiber havinga fiber content of approximately 35% natural cotton material; a secondyarn strand comprising LYCRA®; and said first and said second yarnstrands being woven together in an overall resulting fabric blendcomprising 99% of said first yarn strand, and 1% of said second yarnstrand, and then sewn into the form of a hospital scrub top.
 12. Thehospital scrub top according to claim 11, wherein said first yarn strandcontains a blend of approximately 35% combed cotton and approximately65% polyester.
 13. The hospital scrub top according to claim 12, whereinsaid first yarn strand is size 32/single.
 14. The hospital scrub topaccording to claim 11, wherein said second yarn strand is size 40denier.
 15. The hospital scrub top according to claim 14, wherein saidfirst yarn strand is size 32/single, said second yarn strand is size 40denier, and said first yarn strand and said second yarn strand are woventogether in a 1:1 ratio.
 16. The hospital scrub top according to claim15 wherein the blend of woven polyester/cotton and elastomeric yarn ofsaid woven fabric gives said scrub top increased shape retention,versatility, and useful life.
 17. The hospital scrub top according toclaim 11 wherein said scrub top has no pleats or darts.
 18. The hospitalscrub top according to claim 11 wherein said scrub top opens from aV-shaped neckline by a plurality of snap-type closures for rapid donningand removal.
 19. A hospital scrub top formed from a woven comprising: afirst yarn strand comprising synthetic fiber; a second yarn strandcomprising LYCRA®; and said first and said second yarn strands beingwoven together in an overall resulting fabric blend comprising 99% ofsaid first yarn strand, and 1% of said second yarn strand, and then sewninto the form of a hospital scrub top.
 20. A hospital scrub top formedfrom a woven fabric as set forth in claim 19 wherein said syntheticfiber comprises polyester.